What is a Cabin Air Filter&quest; The cabin air filter is a high particulate filtration medium that is attached to the outside air intake of your vehicle's ventilation system&period; This device helps to improve air quality and filter out pollution from the air that circulates inside the vehicle&period; Most air filters are made from a pleated paper construction&comma; using a variety of different filtration media&period; Some are a cotton and paper blend&comma; while others are basically extremely miniaturized paper filters similar to the air filter of your car's intake system&period; There are some that are just a formed and shaped cotton filter in a cartridge&period;

The cabin air filter is sometimes confused with an internal combustion air filter&period; The internal combustion air filter is the filter under your hood that prevents particles from getting into the engine&period; A driver may encounter the internal combustion air filter as a service recommendation at an oil change shop&period; That's because if the air filter gets clogged or otherwise compromised&comma; it can affect engine performance&period;

It's important to recognize the distinction between these two very different types of air filters&period; When buying cabin air filters&comma; you're looking for something that's going to help improve the air that you will be breathing as a driver or passenger in the vehicle&period; It's not so much part of the vehicle's performance gear as a health and safety device&period; Drivers can consider buying "green air filters" that are more sustainable and include more attention to what the inhabitants of a vehicle will be breathing&period;

Where is the Cabin Air Filter Located&quest; The cabin air filter&comma; or air conditioning filter&comma; is located in different places in different cars&period; On some cars these are easy to locate&comma; remove and change&period; On others&comma; they are more difficult to remove and change&period; They will all be in the air conditioning&sol;vent system after the fan&period; Most of these can be found just inside a small inspection door in the cabin side of the fan housing&period; On most cars this will be down by where the front seat passenger's feet are located&period; This area is sometimes referred to as the foot well&period; Refer to your car's manual for the exact location&period;

Is the AC Filter the Same as the Cabin Air Filter&quest; Yes&period; Some manufacturers call these filters AC filters &lpar;or air conditioning filters&rpar;&comma; while others call them cabin air filters&period; Either way&comma; they are the same thing and they perform the same function of removing dust and other allergens from the air entering the passenger compartment&period;

Is Changing Your Cabin Air Filter Really Necessary&quest; A dirty cabin air filter can cause your air conditioner to run less efficiently&comma; which will waste horsepower&period; It will also decrease the amount of air flow into the passenger compartment&period; Both of these conditions will result in higher temperatures in the passenger compartment and the air conditioner having to work harder than it really needs to&period; Changing the cabin air filter in your vehicle is not only important from a maintenance perspective&comma; but also helps ensure the safety of the passengers in your vehicle&period; The cabin air filter is a very important part of your car's ventilation system and removes many common pollutants from the air&comma; thus protecting the passengers inside the vehicle&period;

Step-By-Step Guide For Auto Cabin Air Filter Replacement

STEP 1Open the glove box&period;Open the glove box and take out the contents&period;

STEP 2Remove the limiting stop arm&period;The limiting stop arm is on the right side of the glove box&period; Just slide it off the pin&period;

STEP 3Release the glove box&period;Grasp the front and back of the glove box&comma; squeezing them toward each other until the side clamps pop free&period; Now that the sides are free&comma; you can drop down the entire glove box&comma; so you can see the faceplate to the cabin air filter channel&period;

STEP 4Remove the old cabin air filter&period;Lift the latches on the sides of the faceplate and slide it out of the way&comma; opening up the filter compartment&period; Now you can simply pull out the old cabin air filter&comma; being careful not to scatter any dust&comma; dirt and trash from the filter into your car&period; As you remove the old filter&comma; notice which way the arrows are facing&period; They indicate the direction of the airflow&period;

STEP 5Clean filter chamber and check seals and gaskets&period;Before you install a fresh&comma; new HUADI PLOW cabin air filter&comma; vacuum the filter chamber&comma; then wipe it with a damp cloth to remove any stray contaminants&period; Check the condition of gaskets and seals to make sure they don't need changing as well&period;

STEP 6Install the new cabin air filter&period;Make sure the new cabin air filter matches the old one&period; Double check to make sure the arrows on the new filter are pointing in the same direction as the old filter you took out&comma; and slide the new filter in&period;

STEP 7Replace and secure the glove box&period;Once the filter's in place&comma; just replace the faceplate&comma; snap the glove box back in place&comma; reinstall the limiting stop&comma; and put everything back in the glove box&period;